Adjustable rear sight for firearms



OR 294659561 SR March 29, 1949. G. A. WILSON 2,465,561

ADJUSTABLE REAR SIGHT FOR FIREARMS Filed Feb. 8, 1945 FIG. I

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I I I V I -il z A TTORA/E r5 Patented Mar. 2 9, 1949 ADJUSTABLE REARSIGHT FOR FIREARMS George A. Wilson, .Hamden, Conn., assignor to TheHigh Standard Manufacturing Corporation, New Haven, Conn.

necticut a corporation of Con- Application February 8, 1945, Serial No.576,756 4 0161? Tel. 33 -59) The present invention relates toimprovements in rear-sights for firearms and relates more particularlyto rear-sights whieh-arefrajjgstable transversely with respect to thefirearm-structure to perfiiit the correct-alignment" of the sights.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superioradjustable rear-sight for firearms in which the adjustment of the sightis readily effected and the locking thereof rendered secure, despiteviolent shocks and vibration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superioradjustable rear-sight embody-v ing adjusting and locking features whichwill remain fixed against unintentional displacement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior sightof the character referred to which combines ruggedness and durabilitywith ease and low cost of manufacture.

Adjustable rear-sights as heretofore known in the art have beensensitive and delicate in their construction, due mainly to spacelimitations, and have also been subject to frequent derangement,especially when used on light automatic or semiautomatic firearms whichare subject to violent shocks and vibration during their functioning. Itis, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide anadjustable rear-sight which, despite its relative smallness in size,will possess sufficient ruggedness to withstand severe usage.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includesall features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out thepresent invention'are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of an adjustable rear-sightconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view looking toward the right-end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the rear-sight;

Fig. 4 is aview looking toward the left-end thereof;

Fig. 5 is an underside view of the rear-sight;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3 butshowing the sight in conjunction with a portion of a firearm upon Fig.10 is a perspective view of another form of clamping-screw suitable foruse in a sight of the present invention in conjunction with theclamping-nut of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a modified form of clamping-nutsuitable for use in conjunction with the clamping-screw o Fig. 10.

The particular adjustable firearm-sight herein chosen for purposes ofillustrating the present invention in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, isprimarily designed as a rear-sight and comprises a block-like sight-bodygenerally designated by the reference character l5 having islower-portion shaped in the form of a dovetail mounting-rib l6 which isadapted to fit into a dovetail mounting-groove l1 extending transverselyacross a firearm-element generally designated by the reference character[8. The said firearm-element may be in the form of the slide of anautomatic pistol, the receiver or barrel of a firearm, or any othersuitable feature of a firearm-structure upon which it may be desired tomount the adjustable rear-sight of the present invention.

At its rear edge, the sight-body I5 is formed with an integralupwardly-projecting sight-rib l9 extending in parallelism with themountingrib I6 before referred to and formed midway of its length with asight-notch 20.

Adjacent the rear of its mounting-rib Hi, the sight-body I5 is formedlengthwise with a cylindrically-contoured clearance-recess 2| extendingfrom its left-end to a point substantially midway of the length of thesight-body and opening through the underside of the mounting-rib l6, aswell as through the said right-end of the structure, all as isespecially well shown in Figs. 5 and '7. Formed in the portion of themounting-rib l6 lying intermediate the clearance-recess 2| and theleft-end of the sight-body, is an internallythreaded socket 22 extendingcoaxially with respect to the said clearance-recess 2| but considerablysmaller in diameter than the diameter thereof.

For the purpose of providing for the adjustment of the sight-body l5 andthe parts carried thereby lengthwise in the mounting-groove ll of thefirearm-element l8, an adjusting screw 23 is employed. The saidadjusting-screw includes a cylindrical head 24 and anexternally-threaded in the said sight-body. Adjacent its inner end,

the head of the adjusting-screw 23 is formed with anannularcoupling-groove 26 which receives with a close sliding fit acoupling-rib 21 formed in the bottom-wall of the mounting-' groove I! ofthe firearm-element especially well shown in Figs. '7 and 9.

Adjacent its front edge, the sight-body I5 is l8, as is formed with alongitudinal expansion-slot 28' which extends from a point closelyadjacent the right-end of. the saidsight-body and intersects 3 theleft-end thereof, as is especially well shown in Fig. 5. The upper wallof the said expansionslot is located but a short distance below theupper-face of the sight-body l5 so as to virtually divide the major partof the lower-portion thereof.

Adjacent its forward left-corner, the sightbody is formed with avertical unthreaded 28 just referred to. The lower-end of thescrew-receiving passage '29 is tapered outwardly and downwardly toprovide a conically-contoured recess 30 for the reception of aconically-contoured head 3| formed at the lower-endo'f a clamping-screwgenerally designated by the reference character 32. 3

Located axially with respect to the screwreceiving passage 29 but in theupper-portion of the sight-body I5, is a cylindrical recess-33 in whichis located a clamping-nut 34 having a diametric kerf 35 in its upperface. The said-:nut is cylindrically contoured externally to fit therecess 33 and threadedly engages with the upper end of theclamping-screw 32, as is especially well shown in Fig. 6.

To guard against the unintentional turning movement of theclamping-screw 32 when the clamping-nut 34 is turned "with respectthereto, the conical head 3| of the said clamping-screw is provided atdiametrically-opposite pointslrespectively with one of twoanchoring-ribs 36 and 31 both adapted to fit within the adjacentportions of the expansion-slot 28 in the sight-body IS, to thus hold thesaidclamping-screw 32 against turning movement relative to thesightbody.

To install the rear-sight above described in the mounting-groove I! orits equivalent of the firearm-element IS, the adjusting-screw 23 shouldfirst be unscrewed and removed from the sightbody l5 and placed in thebottom of the dovetail mounting-groove I! so that the coupling-groove26'thereof fits over the coupling-rib 21 in the bottom of the saidmounting-groove IT. The clamping-nut 34 should be loosened so as tothereby permit the conical head 3| of the clamping-screw 32 to moveslightly downwardly, to thereby permit the metal on the respectiveopposite sides of the expansion-slot 28 to spring back slightly towardeach other to a degree sufficient to permit the dovetail mounting-rib Hito be readily inserted into the left side of the dovetailmounting-groove I! in the firearmelement l8 with its clearance-recess 2|foremost.

The sight-body, together with the parts carried thereby, is moved fromleft to right into the mounting-groove until the end of the threadedstem 25 of the adjusting-screw 23 enters into threaded engagement withthe threaded socket 22in the sight-body l5. Once threaded engage menthas been effected between the stem 25 and the socket 22, the sight-bodymay be drawn from left to right by turning the adjusting-screw 23."

During this operation, the projection of the cou-' pling-rib 21 into theannular coupling-groove 26 in the adjusting-screw 23 will serve to holdthe said adjusting-screw against axial movement while permitting thefree rotation thereof.

When the sight-body has been shifted lengthwise of itself to the desiredpoint by means of the adjusting-screw 23, the said sight-body and theparts carried thereby may be locked in the se- 4 34. The tightening ofthe clamping-nut 34 will draw upwardly upon the clamping-screw 32 andthereby cause the conical head 3| thereof to act against the surfaces ofthe conical recess 30 in the sight-body I5 to spread the dovetailmounting-rib l8 into very tight frictional engagement with therespective front and rear walls of the dovetail mounting-groove I! inthe firearmelement 8. This latter action will firmly lock the saidsight-body l5 and the parts carried thereby in the selected position ofadjustment.

. The sight-body l5 may be released, readjusted and relocked repeatedlywithout occasioning any mutilation of the parts and with assurance thatthe newly-selected position of adjustment will be maintained, despitethe violence of shocks and vibration to which the assembly may besubjected. I

Instead of employing'the clamping-screw 32 and the clamping-nut 34, aclamping-screw '38 and a clamping-nut 39 respectively shown in Figs. 10and 11, may be employed. The said clamping-screw includes a head 40adapted'to fit into the recess 33 and a threaded stem 4| adapted toextend downwardly through the screw-receiving passage 29. Theclamping-nut 39 is conically-contoured to fit the recess '30 and isinternally threaded to receive the lower end of the stem 4|. Theclamping-nut 39 is also provided with anchoring-ribs 42 and 43 which areadapted to enter'the expansion-slot 28 to hold the said clamping-nutagainst turning movement. -;,The invention may be carried out in otherspecific ways than those herein set forth without departing from thespirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the presentembodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within themeaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to beembraced therein.

' I claim:

1. An adjustable rear-sight .for firearms, including in combination: asight-body provided at its upper-portion with sighting-means andprovided at its lower-portion with a mounting-rib extending atsubstantially a right angle with respect to the axis of the saidsighting-means and constructed and arranged for entry into amounting-groove in a firearm-element, the said sightbody being formed inits said mounting-rib with a substantially-vertical downwardly-openingexpansion-slot which also extends in substantial parallelism with thelength of.the said mount: ing-rib, the said. sight-body also beingformed with a substantially-vertical screw-receiving passageintersecting the said expansion-slot and formed in its lower-portionwith a comically-contoured recess; substantially-vertical clampingscrewmeans mounted in the screw-receiving passage in the said sight-body andhaving a conically-contoured lower-portion engaging with thecomically-contoured recess in the lower-portion of .the saidscrew-receiving passage to laterally expand the mounting-rib of thesaidsight-body I along the said expansion-slot and into firmlocklectedposition by tighteningthe clamping-nut 76 ing engagement withthe walls of a mountinggroove in a firearm-element; andananchoringprojection formed on the said clamping-screw cluding incombination: a sight-body provided at" its upper-portion withsighting-means and provided at its lower-portion with a mounting-ribextending at substantially a right angle with respect to the axis of thesaid sighting-means and constructed and arranged for entry into amounting-groove in a firearm-element, the said sight-body being formedin its said mountingrib with a substantially-vertical downwardlyopeningexpansion-slot which also extends in substantial parallelism with thelength of the said mounting-rib, the said sight-body also being formedwith a substantially-vertical screw-receiving passage intersectin thesaid expansionslot and formed in its lower-portion with adownwardly-and-outwardly tapering conically contoured recess;substantially-vertical clampingscrew means mounted in thescrew-receiving passage in the said sight-body and having adownwardly-and-outwardly tapering conically contoured lower-portionengaging with the downwardly-and-outwardly-tapering conically contouredrecess in the lower-portion of the said screw-receivin passage tolaterally expand the mounting-rib of the said sight-body along the saidexpansion-slot and into firm locking engagement with the walls of amounting-groove in a firearm-element; and an anchoring-projection formedon the said clamping-screw means and entering the expansion-slot in thesight-body to hold the comically-contoured portion of the saidclamping-screw means against rotation with respect to the sight-body.

3. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, including in combination: asight-body provided at its upper-portion with sighting-means andprovided at its lower-portion with a mounting-rib extending atsubstantially a right angle with respect to the axis of the saidsighting-means and constructed and arranged for entry into amounting-groove in a firearm-element, the said sightbody being formed inits said mounting-rib with a substantially-vertical downwardly-openingexpansion-slot which also extends in substantial parallelism with thelength of the said mountingrib, the said sight-body also being formedwith a substantially-vertical screw-receiving passage intersecting thesaid expansion-slot and formed in its lower-portion with a taperedrecess and in its upper-portion with a second recess; a clampingscrewhaving a tapered head fitting the tapered recess at the lower-end of thescrew-receiving passage in the said sight-body, the said clamping-screwalso having a stem extending upwardly through the said screw-receivingpassage; and a clamping-nut threadedly engaged with the stem of the saidclamping-screw and located in the recess at the upper-portion of thescrew-receiving passage in the said sight-body.

4. An adjustable rear-sight for firearms, including in combination: asight-body provided at its upper-portion with sighting-means andprovided at its lower-portion with a mounting-rib extending atsubstantially a right angle with respect to the axis of the saidsighting-means and constructed and arranged for entry into amounting-groove in a firearm-element, the said sightbody being formed inits said mounting-rib with a substantially-vertical downwardly-openingexpansion-slot which also extends in substantial parallelism with thelength of the said mountingrib, the said sight-body also being formedwith a substantially-vertical screw-receiving passage intersecting thesaid expansion-slot and formed in its lower-portion with a taperedrecess and in its upper-portion with a second recess; asubstantially-vertical clamping-screw having a head seated in the recessin the upper-portion of the said screw-receiving passage and having astem extending downwardly through the latter; and a tapered clamping-nutseated in the tapered lower-portion of the screw-receiving passage inthe sight-body and threadedly engaged by the stem of the saidclamping-screw.

GEORGE A. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 911,621 Smith Feb. 9, 19091,405,580 Green Feb. 7, 1922 2,061,040 Mossberg Nov. 17, 1936 2,148,272Kyle Feb. 21, 1939

